Apple-grating machine



Dec 2, 1924, 1,517,988

I. z. HERTZLER APPLE GRATING MACHINE Filed Jan. 28, 1924 3 SheetS-Sheet 1' as, a

LZ. HERTZLER APPLE GRATING MACHINE Filed-Jan. 28, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 I. Z. HERTZLER APPLE GRATING MACHINE Filed Jan. 28, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 14 57 40 X Jfa2far Patented Dec. 2, 1924. I

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ISRAEL Z. HERTZLER, OF BELLEVILLE, EENNSYLVANIA.

APPLE-GRATING MACHINE.

Application filed January 28, 1924. Serial No. 689,105.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISRAEL Z. Hnrrrznnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Belleville, in the county of Mifliin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apple-Grating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apple grating machinery and finds its particular, although I not exclusive adaptation in the construction of a device for reducing apples to pulp by rupturing or cutting the juice-containing cells thereof, rendering the juice readily available for extraction from the pulp when the latter is subjected to compression, as in the manufacture of cider.

action of rapidly moving knife edges or serrations, of so slight elevation as to ensure cutting or rupturing the small globular juice-retaining cells of the apple upon successive passages of the cutting means thereagainst.

Another object of the invention is to provide a convergent feedway for the apples having the cutting means operatively situated along one side thereof, whereby apples of all sizes will, by gravity position themselves in proper relation to said cutting means, and be fed progressively downward so as to maintain said relation as they become smaller under the grating operation.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of force-feed mechanism, independent of the cutting means, ensuring the progressive descent of the apples through the feedway.

A further object of the invention resides in making the Wall of the feedway which cooperates with the cutting means adjustable to vary the outlet of said feedway, thereby to determine the thickness of the remains of the apple which passes out with the pulp. This adjustment ordinarily is made so fine that the entire apple passes out as pulp. Another object of the invention is to construct an adjusting device for the adjustable wall or concave of the feedway, which will enable the operator at all times to adjust the adjustable Wall or concave with the alignment of the apple grating cylinder or drum.

cations thereof as will be obvious to those skilled in the artto which my invention relates.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, and wherein the preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved apple grating machine Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2. I

Figure 4 is a detail view of the side wall of the hopper showing the adjusting means and indicating the manner of making the fine adjustment. t

Figure 5 is a cross section taken along the line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the adjustable feedWay-plate or concave 22.

Figure 7 is a detail view showing the end of one of the cutting or abrading edges.

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing one pair of arms of the force-feed mecha nism.

Figure 9 is an exploded View showing the adjusting means for the feed-way plate or concave.

Figure 10 is a cross section showing one of the adjustable bearings for the shaft upon which the concave is swingably supported Referring now in detail to the several figures, the numeral 1 represents the vertical uprights forming part of thestand or frame by which my apple grating machine is supported. Said uprights arejoined at the top by longitudinalbars 2 and transverse members 3 and at the bottom by similar members one of which is represented at 4 in Figure 1. These bars and members may be secured to the uprights in any suitablemanner, it being a. convenient expedient, result ing in a strong construction to have them mortised into the uprights as indicated by dotted lines at 5 and 6. The frame or stand may be firmly held together as shown by the tensioning members 7 and 8. Thelongitudinal bars afford seats for the bearing brackets 9 and 49 which are secured thereto in any suitable manner and the former of which journally support the shaft 10 of the cylinder 11, the latter being keyed or otherwise firmly aiiixed to said shaft and carrying peripherally thereof a cylindrical shell 12 furnished with transverse elevations 13 which are preferably formed, on that side which faces the direction of rotation, with abrupt shoulders 14 defining knife edges 15.

In Figure 3 one of these elevations is shown performing the cutting or grating act upon an apple which is denoted by the numeral 16, in which connection it may be well to note that the size of said elevation. and the amount cut from the apple at one time has been much exaggerated in the interest of clearness, it being preferable in practice to make the elevations of so small a height as to ensure cutting or rupture of practically all the juice-bearing cells of the apple as said elevations or knife edges pass successively over the cut surface of the apple. While the shell 12 which carries the knife edges is here shown as a single continuous member, it is obvious that it might be made in sections and that the elevations or knife edges might be separate devices suitably attached to the shell.

The shaft 10 of the cylinder 11 passes through the opposite sides 1'? and 13 of a hopper, the end walls of which are designated by the numerals 19 and 20, said hop per being shown as fitting down upon the stand or frame between thelongitudinal bars 2 and being removably secured thereto by means of the button 21. A plate 22 which will hereinafter be spoken of as a feedwayplate or concave is swingably supported by means of the apertured lugs 24- and 25 upon a shaft 23, the latter being carried in suit able bearings 55 in the opposite sides of the hopper. Said concave extends substantially across the width of the hopper and is preferably formed with a curvature of greater radius than that of the cylinder 11. although it is probably not absolutely essential that it be curved at all. Said concave is arranged convergently with respect to the cylinder U and the knife edges 15, being so suspended as to swing gravitally away from said knife edges whennot under restraint, but normally held in close adjacency thereto the pins .26 which project through opposite sides of the hopper wall and immediately behind theconcave 22 when the latter is arranged adjacent the knife edges, as is clearly indicated in the detail section shown in Figure 5.

The convergent surfaces of the shell 12 and the concave 22 cooperate to form a feedway which is bounded at the ends by the opposite sides-of the hopper. Apples poured into this feedwaywill gravitate downward as far as may be permitted by their varying diameters until they come into cutting reach ,rectly off of the flywheel the knife edges as the cylinder 11 rotates. As the apples diminish in size by being cut away they descend still lower in the feedway and thus the operation continues until nothing remains of the apple but a mere wafer. or residue of pulp, depending upon the amount of play between the lower edge of the concave and the knife edges 15.

order to prevent the sticking of the apples in the feedway, due to toughness of the skin or relative compressibility, which properties an apple usually acquires when fully ripe, forced feed mechanism is provided which consists of the arm 27 rotatably carried by the shaft s3 and project-able through slots 28 formed in the upper part of the concave. Said arms are arranged to extend over the apples in the feedway and to press them firmly but irresistably down ward toward the convergent end of said feedway. The relative speeds at which the shafts 10 and 23 run ensures that the cutting or grating means will be adequate to dispose of the apples as fast as the forcefeed mechanism can push them downward. The arms 27 are preferably cast or otherwise formed in pairs as shown in detail in Figure 8 and are provided with a hub portion 30 which surrounds the shaft 23 and is secured thereto by the pin 31, or in any other suitable nanner.

The bearings 49 carry a driving shaft 32 to which may be secured a hand crank 33 for manually operating the apple grating machine. rr small gear 34 on said driving shaft meshes with a large gear 37 on the shaft 23 and so transmits power to the latter at reduced speed. A large gear 35 on the driving shaft, and preferably located on the opposite side of the hopper is operably connected to a small gear 36 on the cylinder shaft 10 and thus communicates to it a high speed of rotation. While a chain is shown as the power transmitting means between the gears 35 and 36 it is obvious that any other well. known mechanical expedient for transmitting power might be substituted therefor, such as a belt or a train of gearing. Should it not be desired to use the hand crank, power may be taken di- 39 which is secured to a projecting end of the cylinder shaft 10, as is indicated in Figure 2 by the belt 40.

or adjusting the distance of the concave 22 away from the knife edges 15 the eccentric blocks ll are provided, each of which consists of acylindrical piece 42 formed on the inner side of a bracket The opposite sides 17 and 18 of the hopper are bored with apertures capable of snugly receiving said cylindrical bosses, and the pins 26 which have been hereinbefore referred to are screwed into threaded apertures 4C4: extending through said bosses eccentrically thereof. The bosses 42 preferably terminate flush with the inner face of the sides of the hopper, and the ends of the pins, which are conical as shown at project therebeyond and behind the lower portion of the concave 22. The bracket 43 is preferably formed with countersunk apertures through which screws 46 may be screwed into the outer faces of the opposite sides of the hopper, anchoring the brackets permanently in place. l/Vhen the apple grating machine is assembled at the factory the lower edge of the concave 22 is held against one of the knife edges 15 and the eccentric blocks are rotated in their apertures until the projecting ends 45 of the pins 26 make contact with the back face of said concave. The bracket 43 is then screwed to the side of the hopper, while the parts are retained in this position, the concave being held rigidly against the knife edge of the pins 26. When screws 46 are in place the pins are backed out sufficiently to release the concave from the knife edge, and the pins 26 secured by lock nuts 47. It may happen that when this adjustment is made the knife edge 15 does not come against the concave evenly. To remedy this misalignment, the bearing which carries the shaft 23 upon which the concave is mounted, is formed eccentrically so that by a slight rotation of the same the shaft 23 with the concave, may be sufficiently moved to cause the concave to lie flat against the knife edge 15 equally from end to end. The construction of the bearing 55 may be quite similar to the bracket 43 with the boss 42, shown in Figure 9 and when the proper point of adjustment is reached said bearing is fastened in adjusted position by wood screws engaging the side of the hopper.

The dotted circles 48 in Figure 4 indicate various positions of adjustment which the bracket 43 may assume its position when the screws 46 are driven home depending upon the contacting relationship between the pin 45 with the feedway-plate and the latter with one of the knife edges 15. l/Vhile the pin 26 and bearing block 41 affords a very convenient and efficient means for adjusting the feedway-plate it is within the scope of the invention to substitute any equivalent means if so desired.

The hopper may be provided with a defleeting plate 50 theobject of which is to prevent apples from falling between the end wall 19 of the hopper and the wrong side of the cylinder 11. A cross piece 51 may be provided at the opposite end of the hopper for preventing apples falling behind the force-feed mechanism. The lower or open side of the hopper may be furnished with a baffle 52 the object of which is to catch juice or pulp which is thrown tangentially from the rotating drum by centrifugal force and to deflect the same into a crib or receptacle placed beneath the hopper. The baffle may be hinged if desired, as shown at 53 so that it can be raised to permit a receptacle to be placed therebeneath.

lVhile I have above described what I have found to be a very practical embodiment of my invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that the apple grating machine may also be exemplified in numerous other alternative constructions and I accordingly reserve the right of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:- I

1. An apple grater comprising a downwardly convergent feedway, a rotatable drum the surface of which forms the wall of said feedway provided with abrading means engageable with the apple, a concave constituting the opposite wall of said feedway, shaft upon which said concave is swingably mounted, force feed mechanism carried by said shaft in operative relation to said feedway and means for rotating said shaft.

2. An apple grater comprising a downwardly converging feedway, a rotatable drum the surface of which forms the wall of said feedway provided with transverse abrading means engageable with the apple, a shaft, a concave constituting the opposite wall of said feedway swingably mounted upon said shaft, said concave terminating adjacent said. drum to form therewith an. outlet for said feedway, rotatable force feed means carried by said shaft and extending into said feedway and means for adjustably changing the position of said shaft to bring said concave closer to or farther from said drum.

3. An apple grater comprising a clownwardly convergent feedway, a rotatable drum the surface of which forms a wall of said feedway, provided with transverse abrading means engageable with the apple. a concave constituting the opposite wall of said feedway, said concave terminating adj acent said drum to form therewith an outlet for said feedway, the upper part .of said concave being formed with slots, and ro tat-able force-feed means projectable through said slots for urging the apples downwardly in said feedway.

4. An apple grater comprising a downwardly convergent feedway, a rotatable drum the surface of which forms a wall of said feedway, provided with transverse abrading means engageable with the apple, a concave constituting the opposite wall of said feedway, said concave terminating adjacent said drum to form therewith an outlet for said feedway, the upper part of said concave being formed with slots, rotatable force-feed means projectable through said slots and urging the apples downwardly in said feedway, means for driving said drum and force feed means, said driving means being arranged to impart a faster speed of rotation to said drum than to said forcefeed means.

5. An apple grater comprising a downwardly convergent feedway, a rotatable drum the surface of which forms a wall of said feedway, provided with abrading means engageable with the apple, a swingably mounted concave constituting the opposite wall of said feedway and terminating adjacent said drum to form therewith an outlet for said feedway, means for adjusting the axial position of said concave to vary the width of said outlet, said means comprising a cylindrical pin support arranged rotatably adjustable adjacent said concave, a pin longitudinally adjustable carried non-axially by said pin support projecting into operative relation with said concave, and means for retaining said pin support in adjusted position.

6. An apple grater comprising a downwardly convergent feedway, a rotatable drum the surface of which forms a wall of said feedway, provided with abrading means engageable with the apple, a swingably mounted concave constituting the opposite wall of said feedway and terminating adjacent said drum to "form therewith an outlet or said feedway, means for adjusting the axial position of said concave to vary the width of said outlet, said means comprising a cylindrical pin support arranged axially rotatable adjacent said concave, a pin longitudinally adjustably carried non-axially by said pin support, said pin being formed with a conical end projecting into operative relation with said concave and means for retaining said pin sup port in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ISRAEL Z. HERTZLER. 

